Annoyed by Idling Cars? Here’s a Film For You

By Ralph Gardner Jr.

A commotion was in progress when I arrived to move my car, in accordance with the alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules, one morning last week.

While I didn’t witness the incident that preceded it, I was told that two cars had gotten into a minor fender bender. However, the driver of one of the vehicles—a white BMW SUV—refused to pull over to allow the line of cars piling up behind her to pass.

After a responding police officer tried several times unsuccessfully to persuade her, he reached through her window (this part I saw), removed the keys from her ignition, dragged her out of her car screaming and handcuffed her. At that moment, I didn’t envy his choice of career.

I only raise the incident because I suspect that George Pakenham, the protagonist of “Idle Threat,” a documentary having its premiere this week at the Woodstock Film Festival, is either a hero or a madman for routinely initiating contact with the occasionally testy members of our motoring community.

For the last five years, Mr. Pakenham has approached motorists idling their cars and politely asked them to switch off their engines, claiming an 80% success rate. He also hands them a card. One side spells out Section 4-08 of the NYC Traffic Law, which states that idling is generally prohibited for more than three minutes (one minute in a school zone) except for buses or emergency vehicles. The reverse side of the card lists the steep fines for failing to comply.